


A Voice in the Haze

by ZooTycoon223



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Josh deserved better, M/M, Oneshot, Wendigo Josh, descriptions of injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-10
Updated: 2015-10-10
Packaged: 2018-04-25 18:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4972021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZooTycoon223/pseuds/ZooTycoon223
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a little oneshot that I wanted to get out where Josh gets a little bit better of an ending than what he got.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Voice in the Haze

A haze

That was all he could make out. His eyes were open, but all he could see around him was a thick soup of light. A groan escaped his mouth, though he could barely make it out over the dull roar that filled his ears. He blinked, trying to clear his vision. His attempt was useless, and it only furthered his frustration. He let out a snarl, struggling to sit up. Something was weighing down on him, pressing him into the hard surface below. He dug his nails into whatever was below him, he could only guess that it was dirt, based on the way it deformed under the pressure.

Something was not right with Joshua Washington.

Josh let out a forced breath, struggling to sit up again. The noise around him grew louder, more noises bombarding his ears as he managed to rise. He felt a touch on his shoulder, and he nearly snapped at it. A muffled noise, what Josh assumed was a voice, made itself known amongst the cacophony, and Josh blinked at it.

He knew that voice.

Josh let out a displeased noise when something pricked his arm. Suddenly, the world grew calm. The noises died down, the fog grew dim and his eyelids began to droop. Josh was tired, now. He protested, letting out whine as he began to fade, slumping against the person that had tried to speak to him.

“It’ll be okay, Josh, just rest a bit.” The voice spoke again.

Josh knew that voice for sure…Chris.

\---

Josh bolted upright, letting out a scream, that, in reality, sounded a bit more like a shriek, as he woke from a slumber that was less than restful. He blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes forcefully as he tried to bring the world into focus. His right eye cooperated with little protest, slowly bringing a room into focus. His left eye remained a blur, and he blinked a few times again to try and get it to work.

He let out a worried whine, touching at the left side of his face. Josh didn’t know what he was feeling, but it didn’t feel like a face.

What the fuck happened to him?

“Josh?”

Josh let out a nervous breath, head snapping from side to side in an attempt to pick out the voice in the dark of the room.

“Josh, easy.” A hand reached out and grabbed onto his shoulder, squeezing lightly. Josh turned, relaxing entirely as a familiar head of blond hair graced his eyes.

“Ch-Chris?” Josh whimpered. “Where am I? What happened to me?”

“Just take a deep breath, Josh.” Chris spoke softly, rubbing circles on Josh’s shoulder with his thumb.

Josh nodded, taking a few shaky breaths as he sat back. He was on a couch, pillows propping him up. He closed his eyes, leaning to his side to get a bit closer to Chris. “What happened, Chris? The lodge, the others…those monsters.”

Chris let out a sigh, patting Josh’s shoulder. “A lot of shit happened after you got dragged off into the mine, Josh.” He sat down in the chair he had pulled up next to the couch. “We didn’t know what happened to you. I wanted to come look for you right away, but when the rescue team showed up, they took us right away. People came to talk to us, interviews, interrogations, we didn’t get a chance.”

Josh blinked a few times, tilting his head as he looked at Chris. “You guys…you guys left me.” He spoke softly, memories creeping their way back to him. He remembered the Wendigo, the one with the butterfly tattoo…Hannah. His sister had turned into one of those-those things. She dragged him away, she left him lost and scared in the mines. And his friends… “You guys left me.” Josh repeated, tears pricking his eyes as he shrunk away from Chris. “Why?”

“I’m sorry, Josh, I’m sorry. I tried to get to you, but, after everything that happened, they closed the mountain, there was a SWAT team up there, Josh.”

“You…came back for me.” Josh bit his lip, wincing as it felt more painful than he expected it to.

“Of course, Josh, why wouldn’t I?”

“The-the prank. I was horrible, a-and the part with the saw, and then the gun, and-“ Josh cut himself off, letting out a sob. “God, Chris, I fucked up.”

Chris shook his head, rubbing Josh’s shoulder again. “You’re okay.” He reached up, brushing some loose hair out of Josh’s face. “You messed up, but you’re okay.”

“I fucked with you guys.”

“You stopped taking your meds again, Josh, and none of us bothered to try and help you when we saw how bad you got, we sorta deserved it.”

“Are you…mad?”

“Josh, I thought I lost my best friend. I thought you were dead and rotting in one of those caves up there. If I was mad, I got over it a long fucking time ago.”

Josh sniffed, wiping at his face and grimacing again at the way the tears stung his left cheek. He leaned over, wrapping his arms around Chris, who exhaled and returned the gesture.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to you sooner, Josh.”

“What happened to me, Chris? I don’t feel right.”

Chris let out a sigh, rubbing Josh’s back. “You were down there for a long time, Josh.”

“Chris…what happened to me?”

“Come on, I’ll help you to a mirror.” Chris said, rising slowly, bringing Josh to his feet as he did.

“Wh-why do I need to look in a mirror, Chris? What happened to my face? Why does it hurt so bad?”

“Just let me show you, Josh, you need to see for yourself.”

Josh nodded weakly, more than a little scared of what Chris was about to show him. Once he was on his feet, he fumbled in the dark for Chris’s hand, not trusting himself to walk under his own strength. Chris squeezed the brunet’s hand, trying to help ease him a bit.

Josh couldn’t quite recognize the building he was in. It wasn’t the lodge, that was for sure. It was much less…fancy, was a good word. It was quaint, cozy, it felt nice. It felt familiar, safe.

“Okay, the bathroom is right here.” Chris said as they stopped in front of a door. “You can go in.”

“Come with me…please.” Josh looked up at Chris weakly, frowning at the quality of vision from his left eye.

“Of course.” Chris nodded, opening the door and pulling Josh inside. He debated letting Josh’s hand go, but the other man was quick to tighten his grip.

Josh took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. “How bad is it gonna be, Chris?”

“I-I can’t answer that for you, Josh. You have to look for yourself.”

“Cop out answer, man.” Josh frowned, turning slowly to look into the mirror, eyes widening as he did. “Is that…”

He reached out, touching the mirror in front of him. The skin around his eye was torn up, red and swollen and scabbed. The eye itself was fogged, clearly damaged. It did explain why Josh couldn’t really use it, but it sure as hell didn’t make him feel much better. What killed Josh was the giant slash from the corner of his mouth all the way up his left cheek. It was raw and bloody, and jagged teeth protruded from it. “I look like a character in a slasher film.” He turned to Chris. “Chris…did I…did they get me?”

Chris closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Josh.”

“Am I…one of them?”

“Not quite.” Chris shook his head. “You’re still you, Josh, we got to you in time.”

“Chris, look at my fucking face. I look like I got in a fight with a blender and got my ass handed to me. How is that getting to me in time?”

Chris took a few steps closer to Josh, looking the man in the eyes. “Because, your face can be fixed. I’ll do everything I can to take care of you. That’s how I know I got to you in time, because I can still help you, still take care of you. You are still you, Josh.”

“I don’t feel like me.” Josh looked down, defeated.

“Let’s fix you up, man, it might help you feel better.” Chris brushed Josh’s cheek, making him shiver.

“You gonna play doctor with me?” Josh smirked a bit.

Chris chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I’m not worried about you at all, man.”

\---

Josh fidgeted from his spot sitting cross-legged on the couch. He watched Chris walk in and out of the room a few times as he gathered some medical supplies. It gave Josh a chance to take in where he was.

No wonder the place was so familiar.

It had been a while since Josh had been to Chris’s house. Usually they hung out at Josh’s house, but, ever since his sisters’ disappearance, Josh didn’t really hang out with his friends too often. He supposed it was partly his fault, because, on the times when his friends did reach out to him, he shut them out.

Chris’s house was just like he remembered it.

Josh smiled at the pictures of Chris and his family on the walls, the little personal touches that, unlike his own house, made this place feel like a home. Josh loved spending nights here when he was younger, it was much more quiet and welcoming then this big house where he grew up.

“Okay, Joshy, let’s get you fixed up.” Chris smiled as he finally sat down next to Josh. Josh glanced to his left, blinking at Chris a few times.

“How bad does it look?”

“The teeth might take a while to get back to normal, but everything else should heal just fine.”

“My eye, Chris.” Josh brushed at his left eye. “It doesn’t work, man.”

Chris sighed, reaching over to grab something and letting out a gasp as Josh’s arm darted out to grab Chris. “Dude?”

“You moved.” Josh offered, as if it really worked as an explanation.

“You can use it to sense movement?” Chris raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got some sort of Wendigo sixth sense.”

Josh shivered, crinkling his nose. “Christ, man, I hope that’s the extent of how I’m like them.”

“You haven’t decapitated me, yet, so that’s a good sign.”

“Damn, there go my plans for when you have your back turned.” Josh offered a weak chuckle.

Chris shook his head, picking up a damp washcloth and inching closer to Josh. Josh let out a noise and closed his eyes, leaning into Chris’s touch as the blond began to scrub at the dirt and blood caking Josh’s face. It was warm, soothing. Josh couldn’t help but relax a bit as Chris hummed a tune, filling Josh’s ears with his voice. It was nice, it was something Josh had missed desperately while he was down in the minds. He missed his friends.

He missed Chris.

“Hey Chris?”

“Yeah, man?”

“What happened to the others?”

“They’re all dealing with shit, I guess.”

“But they all made it, right?”

“Course, man, you didn’t expect a bunch of shriveled up, flesh eating assholes to take us out, right?”

“They got to me.”

“But we got you back. I got you back, man.” Chris dropped the cloth onto the table, picking up a bottle of antiseptic spray and some cotton balls.

“Man, fuck this part, it always stings.” Josh wrinkled his nose, bracing as Chris sprayed a cotton ball and dabbed it onto one of Josh’s wounds. Josh hissed, wiggling as Chris cleaned them. “I’m gonna have some killer scars, aren’t I.”

“They’re gonna make you look like a badass.” Chris offered, giving him a reassuring smile. Josh didn’t actually buy it, but it helped.

“What about the slasher smile?”

“Leave that to me.” Chris nodded, producing a needle. “I’ll take care of you.”

“Fuck, this is gonna hurt, too.” Josh groaned. “Fine, just get it over with.”

Chris nodded again, pressing his hand to Josh’s cheek and slowly pushing the needle in. Josh let out a whine. He went to pull away, but Chris used his other hand to cup Josh’s chin, holding the man’s head still. Josh closed his eyes, biting his lip as Chris worked as quickly as he could to stitch Josh’s cheek up. He finished, placing the needle on the table next to the couch before giving Josh a peck on the cheek.

“Chris, c’mon, man.” Josh squirmed, turning pink.

“Hey, man, I missed the fuck out of you while you were gone.” Chris hummed. Josh let out a huff, turning and pressing his face into Chris’s chest.

“I missed you too, Chris.”

“I’d be a shit boyfriend if I didn’t come back and get you, you know.”

“I know…I knew you’d come back, I never believed you’d leave me.” Josh paused. “I love you, man.”

“I love you, too, Josh.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I have a LOT of Climbing Class fics that are in a sort of limbo of me writing when I get downtime during the semester, but I wanted to do SOMETHING for this pairing, because, goddamn, has it taken over my life. It's not meant to be much, short and sweet and a little gay, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same.


End file.
